


ghosting your dreams

by LesbianLucretia



Category: RWBY
Genre: Checking out, Gen, Insomnia, Panic, set in season 5
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-09
Updated: 2020-02-09
Packaged: 2021-02-27 22:01:03
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,081
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22633144
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LesbianLucretia/pseuds/LesbianLucretia
Summary: Oscar desperately needs sleep. Oz offers to help.
Relationships: Ozpin & Oscar Pine
Comments: 3
Kudos: 153





	ghosting your dreams

**Author's Note:**

> I DONT ACTUALLY REMEMBER OR LIKE SEASON 5 BUT OZPIN WAS GONE FOR LIKE A WHOLE TWO SEASONS SO IT’S THIS OR INVENTING A NEW TIMELINE. 
> 
> FUCK CONTINUITY IM HERE FOR OSCAR AND WILL MAKE MY OWN CANON.

It’s dark in the house in Mistral, yet never as dark as the barn was. Something about living in a city, now, makes him feel so overwhelmed. Like something itching behind his ear drum and straining to hear every single little sound.

He used to be able to sleep in complete silence. It’s not the case anymore, as he can hear the soft breathing of his teammates even through the walls and snores of Qrow and Nora. He can hear the noises of people on the streets.

He hasn’t been able to sleep more than four hours in four days.

Oscar presses the palms of his hands to his eyes. He just wants to sleep so badly. His body aches and he’s just so tired but it’s like he can’t and—

_If I may—_

Oscar shoves a hand into his mouth and bites down on his knuckles to muffle the scream. _Gods_ , he is still not used to that at all.

Oz almost chuckles, the feeling of wanting to bubbling up in his chest. 

_Apologies, Oscar. I thought you had felt me._

“You _know_ I can’t really do that.” Oscar sighs, his heart rate now slowing. Welp, he’s definitely not sleeping now. “It’s never a _feeling_.”

_So I’ve been told._

And a memory washes over him of a different face looking in the mirror and saying the same thing.

“Oh. So I’m not special, then.”

Mild annoyance twitches in him. It’s not his annoyance.

“Save it.” He sighs. “I’m not falling asleep tonight, am I?”

_Right, the matter at hand. Oscar, I can help you get to sleep._

“Oh yeah? How?” He asks, genuinely curious. He’s always curious (yes, and wary) around magic.

_If you allow me to take control, it would allow you to… check out, in a manner of speaking. You can sleep, quiet and undisturbed, in your own mind while I take care of our body._

“I don’t know…” Oscar mumbles, picking at a loose string on his pants. “It already feels weird enough, giving up control. Would I… disappear?”

 _No_ . The answer is strong and firm, like a pressure in his chest. _Not at all. You’d still be here, just asleep. Nothing would bother you, and you would be able to wake up on your own time._

Oscar wants to deny it, like a gut instinct, but he can’t deny that it sounds really nice. Unable to be woken by the outside world? Not having to worry about waking up aching, hungry, and thirsty? Not having to worry, just for a few hours, about anything?

“Okay,” Oscar says, and takes a step back.

His body moves on it’s own.

_That won’t ever not be weird to feel._

Ozpin does chuckle this time, a foreign noise rumbling from his own throat.

_Yeah, that too._

“I can wake you, in about eight hours.” Oz offers, their voices overlapping until it settles on one.

 _It’s okay._ Oscar settles down, opting to muffle the sensory input from the body. _I’d just like to sleep as much as I can, if that’s alright._

“Of course.” Ozpin says. “Sleep well, Mr. Pine.”

And he does.

He sleeps, even as waves of concern and then worry rush over the body.

With his senses muffled, it’s not the crashing mountains of emotions that it feels like. It’s like gentle waves that rock him in his sleep, soothing and cool and not burning cold.

He begins to stir, at some point. He can’t tell how long it’s been. He comes to awareness oh so slowly, stretching out like a lazy cat and opening the door to expect sunlight and Ozpin having already started the day without him.

With just a crack, the door slams open.

“ _OSCAR_.”

Oscar flinches and panics, scrambling for control. Oz offers it up, retreating back so fast it gives him whiplash, and Oscar groans and stumbles, suddenly overrun with sensory input.

“Wha-what? What?” He pants, his body fizzing with adrenaline. “What’s wrong? Did something happen?”

_You were asleep for 19 hours._

Oscar holds himself up on a coffee table. “What? N-no, it— I’m not—“

The sun is setting, he realizes. He’s standing in the living room and is bathed in gold. He feels bruises that weren’t there before and there’s the taste of miso and salty fish in his mouth. He’s full, he’s just eaten, but he feels dizzy and lightheaded.

 _I couldn’t wake you._ Oz says quietly. _I know you said not to but Qrow and Miss Rose were beginning to worry for you at lunch. And when I couldn’t wake you—_

“What?” Oscar blinks heavily. “Why couldn’t you wake me up?”

 _I don’t know._ And then Oscar realizes the panic and relief he’s feeling isn’t his. _I don’t know. It’s never—_

“Been like that before.” Oscar finishes. “I— I know.”

They both sigh.

“I’m… sorry.” He says. “I didn’t know. I just… wanted to sleep.”

_Well, I’m not so sure that’s the best way to do it anymore._

He sounds… shaken. Very shaken.

“You were panicking.”

_I was._

“Why?”

_Pardon me?_

“I mean,” Oscar doesn’t bother with the couch, he slips onto the floor behind it. The cool wood is soothing on his head. “That’s— that’s what’s going to happen, isn’t it? One day I’m just going to fall asleep and I won’t wake up, and you’ll have full control.”

 _NO_. It echoes in his ears and makes him wince. _No, that’s not— It won’t happen like that._

“But—“

“Oz!” 

Oscar gasps and sits up suddenly. The front door has been kicked open and the whole team is piling in, all holding various herbs.

“Professor, we have the things you said—“ Ruby is kneeling in front of him suddenly and shoving various plants into his arms. “Sorry we took so long, we went all over trying to find—“

Oscar snorts, making Ruby pause.

“Oz… pin?” She tilts her head. Everyone peers over her to look at them.

“What were you going to do with all of these?” He asks Oz, amusement bubbling in him.

_It’s… not important._

“Good, because I’m not sure that taro root has any medicinal properties other than being totally gross.”

“Oscar!” Ruby gasps and so does everyone else. “Oh my gosh, we thought you were gone!”

“I was just sleeping.” Oscar says and stands. “I’m okay.”

“Swear?” Nora squints at him.

“Swear.” He nods and feels happiness that isn’t his beam in his sternum.

“Good. Don’t you ever scare us like that again!”

He smiles. “Noted.”


End file.
